Page 48 of The Number of Love
Dot’s eyes went wide, and her arms spread out in a gesture that said,Look about you. “In what world is a heart attacklesslikely than—than assassination?”
Drake willed his sister to look over at him so that he could give her a sign to shut up. She was Margot’s friend, and she ought to know better than to say something like that, even if she thought it. He could scarcely believe she justhad.
His fault, he suspected. She was reeling from his news and lashing out.
Margot didn’t miss a beat. “Inmyworld. We lived for months under the same roof as a German general who never hesitated to share with us how readily the High Command would kill anyone deemed an enemy. We watched our entire town be torn to pieces and burned. Any family whose military-aged son had escaped the country could be arrested. They dismantled our factories and sent the pieces to Germany so that we cannot rebuild after the war.”
“But that is different than being targeted.”
Why was Dot fighting her about this?
Perhaps Margot was wondering the same. She finally changed her expression and lifted her brows. “We were hunted before, for my father’s work. My brother was shot because he was recognized as being the son of Professor De Wilde. Willa was shot and held prisoner trying to help us escape from Belgium. Agents of both the English and German Crown made it quite clear they would do anything to get their hands on his work in cryptography.”
Whowasthis girl? Or perhaps it was more a question of who her father had been, and if in fact she and her motherhadbeen in possession of his work. He didn’t know yet which question to ask. But he’d dealt in this world long enough to see the sense in her words.
Dot, he granted, hadn’t. She huffed. “Terrible. But years ago.”
“You think the threat evaporated? While the war yet rages on?”
“No.” Drake’s interjection, quiet but sure, had his sister spinning on him, her eyes asking why he was encouraging her friend in what she no doubt thought was a fruitless and unhealthy inquiry. Which it might be.
Or she might be right. And if she were right...
He transferred his gaze from Dot to Margot. “Have you mentioned your concerns to DID?”
“Not yet. I only just made the connection last night.”
He nodded. “We should bring it to his attention. I have no evidence to say you could be right, but I have none to say you’re wrong either. I’ll do what I can to remedy that for you.”
Now she moved—her shoulders sagged, just a bit. And she letout the tiniest puff of breath, so small he likely would have missed it had he not been paying close attention. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“I’m really not accustomed to answering to that, given that I have been undercover for all these years. Call me Drake.” He tried for a grin, though it no doubt didn’t look all that charming. And likely wouldn’t faze her regardless. “One of the conditions of my inquiry.”
“Very well.” No, not so much as a pause or a shift to indicate any effect.
“You’re both ridiculous.” Dot stormed between his sofa and Margot’s chair. “I’m going to fetch the potatoes from Mrs. Colton’s oven.”
Silence whooshed in with the closing of the door. Drake shifted to a more comfortable position, absurdly aware of how weak and unlike himself he was just now. He couldn’t ask her if she’d like anything and actually get up to fetch it if she did. He couldn’t rise and amble to the window to fend off any awkwardness. He couldn’t do anything but sip at his tea and wait for her to speak.
She didn’t.
He cleared his throat and slid the cup back onto the end table. “I suppose I thought you might have more questions for me.”
How could her blink be so powerful? Perhaps because of the way it first hid and then revealed those eyes. “Were you lying when you said you had no evidence to support or dismiss my suspicions?”
How could she sit so still? No movements in her fingers or her legs or anything. Just a spine stiffly aligned and each limb arranged as if she were a doll. “Of course not.”
“Then what good would more questions do me?”
A smile tugged at his lips, though they didn’t seem to curve up evenly. “Well, one never knows what unexpected details one might learn through the right questions. For instance, why have you dismissed the attention of the half-dozen men who have tried to catch your eye this past year?”
He was aiming at a response, and he got one. She jerked as if he’d hit her with a dart. “How do you expect to get any useful information from a question whose very premise is flawed?”
Press his lips together as he might, still the grin slipped through.“Oh, I just got plenty. I learned that the admiral was quite right when he described you as oblivious to the attention, as evidenced by your shocked reaction to my question. And the fact that you think my premise flawed not only corroborates that, it shows that you genuinely think the idea ridiculous. Though I haven’t yet determined why you’d think so.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her mouth a bit agape. Then she shook herself and returned to her previous perfect posture. “Several reasons. First of all, I have no interest in such attachments, so the ideaisridiculous. Secondly, there is no reason for the admiral to have mentioned such a thing. And finally, no one would show such interest anyway.”
Drake lifted a finger. “What is so ridiculous about finding someone to support and encourage you through the ups and downs of life?” He lifted a second finger. “The admiral had reason to mention it in response tomyinterest.” The third finger joined its friends. “Which goes also to your third point. And why would you think no onewouldshow interest, anyway? You’re intelligent—”
